Week 8, Day 4

Did you ever have an ordinary day in your life so beautiful and so perfect that you just had to celebrate? Welcome to November 6th Day.

Here's the story:
Ten years ago my son Adam was in the middle of some heavy-duty medical issues (read more about it at http://mysite.verizon.net/pffdvsg1/req-bestanswr.htm). It was painful and intense, far beyond what a 10 year old ought to have to endure. But on November 6 --a sunny, beautiful, cool day -- as we were driving to work (I had a job where I could have my homeschooled kids with me), Adam said out of the blue, "We ought to have a celebration today!" Focused on work and all I needed to accomplish, I was a naysayer and explained that we had just gotten done with Halloween and Thanksgiving was coming up. So clearly this wasn't a good day for a celebration. Besides, what would we celebrate? Adam thought for a moment and said, "I dunno, Mom. Just because." He thought a bit more and said, "It's a pretty day and I don't hurt. We can celebrate that!" In the usual rain-on-the-parade mother response, I told him "we'll see", and re-focused on getting on with the day's tasks.

But I had a hard time staying focused through the day. Adam's words kept popping into my head. He had been through so much pain and so much work to gain an amazing 6-1/2 inches in his once-short thigh bone. Months of daily painful therapy and turning the bolts on the scaffolding on his leg. But for a few weeks the turning had stopped and we were in the waiting stage to allow the new bone to consolidate. And today was the first day in months the kid was without pain. Why not celebrate? I felt really guilty for not saying yes immediately. It was such an innocent request. But how on earth could I fit it into an already packed day? Work until late, then an evening meeting to attend. What could we possibly do at the end of the day that would even qualify as a celebration? Would we need to invite people? Did we need to do gifts? What about decorations? It just didn't seem possible.

Then it hit me. I knew exactly what to do! I dropped the kids off at home after work and headed off to the evening meeting. When I finally got home, the boys were playing a game. It seemed like they hardly noticed my arrival. Then they saw the bags in my hand and the smile on my face. We sat on the living room floor as I explained about our new celebration. The bags were filled with all kinds of snacks and junk food, fun stuff that normally would be off-limits. Pretzels, ice cream bars, and a bunch of stuff I can't even remember anymore. And we talked about what made us happy. Daniel, Adam's older brother, had the idea that we should look at the food packages and bags for elevens and sixes ('cuz November is the eleventh month) -- he said it would be a "sign" that this holiday was good. We got goofy about it and had to stretch pretty far sometimes to come up with sixes and elevens. Twenty-four ounces was acceptable, for instance, because two and four total six. Nine grams of sodium and two grams of fiber were fine because nine and two equal eleven. The package of six ice cream bars was magical. The more we stretched to make it all "fit", the more we laughed. And as we drank from the six-pack of soda --also magical because of the six, we toasted to a happy November 6th Day. Just that simple. No need for decorations. No need for gifts. No need for elaborate plans or guests. Only a quiet, albeit goofy, celebration of happiness.

In the ten years since that first November 6th Day we have not always been together. But we three have always celebrated. We celebrate all we went through together out in Maryland. We celebrate the things that make us happy. We celebrate goofiness. We celebrate the special relationship the three of us have. And we celebrate just because another November 6th has arrived.

Healthier Holiday Today
Today our November 6th Day is taking on an added dimension. I'm making an attempt to re-define what makes me happy. Gone are the sodas. Water is my drink of choice now. A box of Ho-hos is no longer the be-all and end-all of ultimate taste treats. A cup of low-fat frozen yogurt is a great substitute. A plateful of cheese ravioli drenched in alfredo sauce is not the linchpin of an awesome meal. Instead a handful of whole wheat pasta mixed in with a plateful of vegetables seasoned with Old Bay is the new gold-standard. And a bag of pretzels, no matter how many elevens or sixes on the bag, doesn't actually have to be a part of the celebration. A whole wheat toasted English muffin has a great crunch factor with a good amount of fiber, and adding a thin smear of all-fruit spread makes it extra yummy. So this year, the 10th anniversary of the creation of our new family holiday, my November 6th Day is not only about honoring our past celebrations, but also about the exciting future ahead. A healthy future. A future filled with happiness and more beautiful days so perfect you just can't help but celebrate.

Dieting is a reason to celebrate. New beginnings and new hope are a reason to party. Taking charge of your life and your health is a reason to be delighted. No matter what day on the calendar, I encourage YOU to be happy and celebrate...just because!

Today's Tip:
Here's a great article about Danny Cahill, one of the contestants on the Biggest Loser: Danny Cahill is Feeling Like a Champ I especially like what he said about feeling like a champion again. My kids say when I was younger and battled for Adam's medical care, I was a warrior, fierce and strong. I want that back. I want to be healthy and strong again. When I saw Danny on Biggest Loser talking about getting his fire back, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

And...Happy November 6th Day, everyone!